Abusive supervisory reactions to coworker relationship conﬂict Kenneth J. Harris a,⁎, Paul Harvey b, K. Michele Kacmar cIndiana University Southeast, School of Business, 4201 Grant Line Road, New Albany, IN 47150, USA Management Department, Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire, USA Department of Management and Marketing, Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, 143 Alston Hall, Box 870225, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0225, USA b c a

1. Introduction Abusive supervision, or the prolonged hostile treatment of subordinates, has been recognized as a signiﬁcant threat to employee well being and productivity in both the popular press (e.g., Elmer, 2006) and in organizational research (e.g., Duffy, Ganster, & Pagon, 2002; Harris, Kacmar, & Zivnuska, 2007; Harvey, Stoner, Hochwarter, & Kacmar, 2007; Hoobler & Brass, 2006; Mitchell & Ambrose, 2007; Tepper, 2000, 2007; Tepper, Duffy, & Shaw, 2001; Zellars, Tepper, & Duffy, 2002). Behaviors that fall under the umbrella of abusive supervision, such as sabotaging, yelling at, or ignoring subordinates, have been linked to an array of negative consequences (see Tepper, 2007 for an overview). Research also suggests that these forms of abuse are alarmingly common in modern organizations (Namie & Namie, 2000; Tepper, 2007). The purpose of this study is to develop and test a conceptual model that expands our knowledge of antecedents, moderators, and consequences of abusive supervision. We also build on past research showing that supervisors' relationship conﬂicts can “trickle down” to subordinates in the form of abusive behaviors (Aryee, Chen, Sun, & Debrah, 2007). Speciﬁcally, we test the notion that supervisors who experience relationship conﬂict, deﬁned as interpersonal “tension, animosity, and annoyance” (Jehn, 1995, p. 258), with their coworkers respond by abusing subordinates. The proposed relationship between supervisor-level coworker relationship conﬂict and abusive supervision is rooted in the notion of displaced aggression, which occurs when the reaction to an unpleasant outcome or behavior from one source is redirected to a second source (Miller, Pedersen, Earlywine, & Pollock, 2003; Tedeschi & Norman, 1985). Consistent with Tepper (2007), we argue that the relatively weak retaliatory power of subordinates, as compared to coworkers, increases the likelihood that relationship conﬂict-driven frustration will be vented at subordinates. We qualify this assumption, however, by arguing that supervisors who experience coworker...

YOU MAY ALSO FIND THESE DOCUMENTS HELPFUL

...Abuse in relationships is a major problem in the world today. All different types of people go through each and every day. There can be different types of abuse, emotional, and physical abuse in relationships. There are different signs to look for in an abusiverelationship and there are also stages of abuse. Most people think that it is easy to leave an abusive person but, it is not as easy for some people. Many people be...

...﻿AbusiveRelationshipsAbusiveRelationships can cause physical and emotional violence, fear, and even guilt.
Many abusiverelationships often go unheard because of the threat from the abuser. Abusiverelationships impact millions of relationships each day and teenage girls are at the highest risk. The impact on these relationships can cause life...

...became trapped in a perilous relationship where she was the vulnerable prisoner. She seemed so strong that surely she had the strength to leave. I pondered on her situation multiple times and came to the conclusion that there must have been some logical explanation or reason why she hadn’t left. I couldn’t figure it out… so I asked her. People stay in abusiverelationships because of conflicting emotion, reliance on the abuser, and pressure.
“It’s...

...﻿Eckenberg Terri
Human Behavior/ AbusiveRelationships
Psyc 234
You think you've found the perfect guy to be in a relationship with and marry them. Everything he does is so touching, especially in the initial stages of the marriage. He seems so thoughtful, and goes out of the way to ensure that all of your needs are met. You enjoy your moments together and finally feel loved. You do everything together as newlyweds, and ignoring the little red...

... Introduction
AbusiveRelationships are created mentally and physically. In my opinion, the definition for abuse describes a person with harmful intents; lacking concern, compassion, or affection for another human being. The following annotated bibliographies will express different stages of abuse in set climates. The purpose is to evaluate opinions of the authors selected with the most relevant connections to the behavior patterns of...

...AbusiveRelationship
Domestic Violence occurs in all cultures people of all races, ethnicities, religions, and classes can be perpetrators of domestic violence. Domestic violence is perpetrated by both men and women, and occurs in same-sex and opposite-sex relationships. The meaning of domestic violence (sometimes referred to as domestic abuse) occurs when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically...

...Analyzing Verbal AbusiveRelationships
Pictures are said to be worth a million words. But have you ever taken a moment to analyze a picture such as an Ad or a commercial? Most commercials or ads persuade you to buy something that they are selling usually by cheesy actors or delicious looking food. A majority of these ads are targeted to specific age groups, whether it is for kids, teens, adults, or elders. But others are unanticipated manifestations. For...

...Emotionally AbusiveRelationship
Emotionally AbusiveRelationship
Chanda Annon
1204A August 2012 Term
Emotionally AbusiveRelationship
I. Introduction
a. People can be in an emotional abusiverelationship and not even know it.
b. Emotional Abuse can be considered the most painful source of abuse.
II. Emotionally Abusive can be considered an...